Shoe-fastening.



No. 633,9!9. Patented Sept. 26, I899.

s. STARKEY.

suns FASTENING. iApplication filed July 18, 1 899.1

6N0 Model.)

7 8mm qydne zy 5Zark@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYDNEY STARKEYQOF :EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO. I

SHOE-FAST NING.

SPECIFICATION formingart of Letters was no. 633,919, dated September 26, 1899. Application filed July 18, 1899. Serial No. 724,262. (No model.)'

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYDNEY STARKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Liverpool, in the county of Oolumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shoes, and most especially to the low-cut variety, the purpose being to adapt a shoe of given size and width to varying insteps, whereby it can be worn upon a foot having a high, a low, or an intermediate instep with the same degree of comfort, ease, and fit, thereby obviating the necessity for the merchant to carry a number of shoes of the same size, but varying in instep measurement.

This invention will enable a merchant of limited capital and room to carry a full stock of all sizes of shoes without having to likewise provide a number of shoes of the same size, I but varying in height of instep.

The invention consists of a shoe having its vamp of maximum size tofit the highest possible instep, flaps projecting from the forward ends of the quarters and adapted to overlie. the vamp and have their free ends overlap L and adjustably connected, one of the flaps having the shank portion of a separable fastening and the other flap having'a series of openings to make adjustable connection with the shank of the aforesaid fastening member, and an elastic webor tape attached at one end to the flap having the series of openings and 7 provided at its free end with the other memher of the separable fastening, said elastic being taut at all relative adjustments of the fastening member carried thereby and-adapted to conceal. the openings in the outer flap.

The invention also consists of the novel features, details of construction, and peculiar combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more fullynset forth, claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective ,view of a shoe, showing the application-of the invention. Fig. 2is a view similar to Fig. 1, the flaps and the elastic being released and thrown open.

Fig. 3 is a detail section of the vamp, flaps, and fastening means on a larger scale.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated mall the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

7 The shoe is OfthB low-cut type, and its vamp l is sufficiently ample to fit the highest instep of a. foot of given size. The edge or marginal portions Of the vamp are reinforced to give the requisite stiifness, the reinforcement 2 being applied to the inner side, and the intermediate portion is simply lined to provide for its gathering when the shoe is fitted to a foot of low instep. The quarters 3 have their upper forward ends loose, and flaps 4i and 5 project upwardly therefrom and are adapted to overlie the vamp and to have their free end portions Overlap. The flap 4 is shorter than the flap 5 and carries the shank memberfi of a separable fastening, the shank or stem projecting through the flap and retained in place by its back plate engaging the rear or inner side of the flap. The long flap 5 has a series of openings 7, through any one of which the shank 6 is adapted to extend and adj ustaloly connect the flaps when fitted to the instep. The clasp member 8 of the separable fasten- .ing is applied or engaged by a snap action with the projectingend ofthe shank 6 and holds the flaps at and 5 in fixed relation when adjusted. An elastic tape or. Web 9 is secured at one end to the base portion of the flap 5, and the clasp member 8 of the separable fastening is applied to its free end. -Ahow, rosette, or like ornament 10 is applied to the outer or free end Of the Web and is designed to conceal the outeropenings 7 when the fastening member 6 passes through'the innermost opening or the one farthest removed from the free end of the flap 5. is of such relative length as to be under tension at all stages of its adj ustnient and secures the clasp member 8 of the separable fastening The elastic against casual displacement and to conceal I the openings? and to give a neat and finishe appearance to the shoe. 4 I When a shoe otherwise fits the foot of a and connecting them in the manners'et forth; The vamp when adjusted can remain undisturbed, or the flaps can be utilized by the wearer as aconvenient means to enable the shoe to be readily removed and placed upon the foot, the fastening being oapable'of easy,

and ready adjustment. t r a r l 7 Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is l l V Ashoe having its vamp of maximum size to ,fit ,the highest instep and having the upper forward ends of its quarters loose, fiapspro-i jeeting from the loose ends of the quarters'to unequal distances and adapted to overlie the vamp and to' have their ends overlap; the longer flap having a series of openings, a separablefastening comprisinga clasp member and a shanklmember, the latter being applied to the short flap and adaptedto make adjustable connection with the long flap by passing through any one of the series of openings formed therein, and an elastic web secured at one end to the base portion of the longfiap and having thesaid clasp member applied to its free end and adapted to overlie the long flap and conceal the openings therein in any adjustmentofi the fiaps,-substantiallyas de- 7 

